Skip to content
HOLLYWOOD METRICS
HomeAboutCraftNewsAnalyticsScriptsBooksPricingAPIMCP
Catalog/Fantasy/The Serpent and the Rainbow
The Serpent and the Rainbow poster
B
Strong
MASTER SCORE 67.0 / 100
1988·Fantasy / Horror / Thriller·1h 38m

THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW

“Don't Bury Me...I'm Not Dead!”

A Harvard anthropologist is sent to Haiti to retrieve a strange powder that is said to have the power to bring human beings back from the dead. In his quest to find the miracle drug, the cynical scientist enters the rarely seen netherworld of walking zombies, blood rites and ancient curses. Based on the true life experiences of Wade Davis and filmed on location in Haiti, it's a frightening excursion into black magic and the supernatural.

Above the Line
Wes Craven·DirectorRichard Maxwell·ScreenplayAdam Rodman·ScreenplayJohn Lindley·Director of PhotographyBrad Fiedel·Original Music ComposerGlenn Farr·Editor
Cast
Bill Pullman·Dennis AlanCathy Tyson·Marielle DuchampZakes Mokae·Dargent PeytraudPaul Winfield·Lucien CelineBrent Jennings·Louis MozartConrad Roberts·ChristopheBadja Djola·GastonTheresa Merritt·SimoneMichael Gough·SchoonbacherPaul Guilfoyle·Andrew Cassedy
Full Crew
(30 credits)
Directing· 2
Wes Craven·DirectorRobert Engelman·First Assistant Director
Writing· 2
Richard Maxwell·ScreenplayAdam Rodman·Screenplay
Camera· 1
John Lindley·Director of Photography
Editing· 1
Glenn Farr·Editor
Sound & Music· 1
Brad Fiedel·Original Music Composer
Art & Design· 11
David Nichols·Production DesignPeter Mitchell·Costume DesignDavid Brisbin·Art DirectionJim McPherson·Special Effects Makeup ArtistJeffrey S. Farley·Special Effects Makeup ArtistDavid LeRoy Anderson·Special Effects Makeup ArtistLance Anderson·Special Effects Makeup ArtistMichael Shawn McCracken·Special Effects Makeup ArtistJames Kagel·Special Effects Makeup ArtistMichelle Bühler·Key Makeup ArtistRosemary Brandenburg·Set Decoration
Production· 9
David Ladd·ProducerRob Cohen·Executive ProducerKeith Barish·Executive ProducerDoug Claybourne·ProducerJaime Pina Gautier·Production ManagerMichael Bennett·Unit Production ManagerJuanita Diane Feeney·Production ManagerCurtis Burch·Production ExecutiveRobert Engelman·Co-Producer
Other Departments· 3
Anthony Cecere·Stunt CoordinatorPeter Chesney·Special Effects CoordinatorRobert Hallowell II·Key Hair Stylist
By the Numbers
67.0
OF 100
Master Score
6.4
OF 10
IMDb
64%
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
$20M
ROI 78%
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

Find on TMDB
Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind The Serpent and the Rainbow's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#212121
#A1A1A1
#D1A181
Mood
Terrifying, Desperate, Horror
Composition
Centered
Era
1980s
Visual Style
Photographic

“The poster features a pale-faced person with a red cross painted on their forehead, screaming with their mouth wide open. Their hands, stained with what appears”

horrorsupernatural
Key Elements
Person's FaceRed Cross On ForeheadBlood On HandsWooden Lid
Atmosphere
Dark, Gritty, Cold
Color Mood
Cool
Setting
Indoor
Design Score
7/10
More Like This

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Neighboring films in the catalog's similarity graph.

Keep Going

THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
MORE BY WES CRAVEN

Every catalog entry where Wes Craven is credited as director.

Open
Family
GEN
MORE FANTASY

Top-ranked films inside fantasy, sorted by master score.

Open
Era
DEC
MORE FROM THE 1980S

The best films of the 1980s, ranked across every available metric.

Open
View on IMDbView on TMDBCatalog
HOLLYWOOD METRICS

The definitive mathematical oracle for cinematic success and creative script intelligence.

74,000+ Films100 Years1.1M+ Reviews
PRODUCT
  • Dashboard
  • Pricing
  • Script Analysis
  • Watch the Demo
  • The Red List
  • News
  • Analytics
  • API
  • MCP Connector
COMPANY
  • About
  • Track Record
  • Trust & Script Privacy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
CONNECT
  • ▶YouTube
  • ◉Instagram
  • ♪TikTok
  • @Threads
  • fFacebook
Get Started Free →
© 2026 Hollywood Metrics. All rights reserved.Powered by bespoke agents and autonomous agentic workflows